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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193031">The After-math of Magical Business</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelord/pseuds/firelord'>firelord</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magic, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Familiars, Fluff, Human Mark Lee (NCT), M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Witch Lee Donghyuck | Haechan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:22:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,978</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelord/pseuds/firelord</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s obvious that the boy thinks of him as some sort of creep that stares. Well, maybe not that far, but he certainly doesn’t like him. In Mark’s defense, it’s not his fault that Donghyuck is too pretty to not look at when he walks in the room. </p><p>( Mark has a crush on a boy. Turns out, said boy is actually a witch. )</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>CAS summer 2020 games</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The After-math of Magical Business</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/playingprince/gifts">playingprince</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello, it's me. I've been wondering if after all these months you'd like to read my stuff again.</p><p>I've decided to take part in this this friendly exchange with my <i>friends</i>, the so called CAS. The prompt I got is Rose's, in particular I'm writing her third prompt (which you don't know is the third because we didn't share the prompts but, whatever, it's the third) and I wrote it for markhyuck 'cause that what I write 90% of the time. Yeeeh.<br/>It's not too long of a story and it's generally fluffy, I got birbed by your dentists to get you all cavities. I like to think that it's quite fun and enjoyable, tho, because I consider myself a moderately funny person.<br/>I'd like to thank everyone that patted my back while I was writing, you guys know who you are and I love you a lot. </p><p>well, enjoy :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Can you easily ride a bicycle with squared wheels? In New York, at the MoMath (Museum of Mathematics) you can, in one of the pavilions dedicated to mathematical fun. It’s necessary, though, that the profile of the dais on which the side of the wheel lays satisfies some conditions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In Figure 2 you can see the situation represented in the Cartesian plane 0xy: the square with side DE=2 and center C represents the wheel of the bike, the graph of the function f represents the profile of the dais.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>« Tell me why we’re supposed to solve this type of problems, again? »</p><p>Yukhei’s head drops unceremoniously on his book, arms splayed on the table in Mark’s living room.</p><p>« Because we want to graduate, I guess? And possibly get into a good college? »</p><p>The explanation would sound better if Guanheng’s voice wasn’t trembling so much as he spoke. The truth is that if you’re not good at math no reasoning will help you come to terms with it.</p><p>But that’s not Mark’s problem, because Mark is not just good at math, Mark is pretty fucking <em>great</em> at it. It’s the reason why all his friends are at his house, a pile of sandwiches between them as they get through the questions of the previous years’ finals. Most of the stuff is too difficult for them to solve, considering that there’s more than half of the program that they haven’t done yet in their senior year, but sometimes they find a problem that their professor thinks should be doable. Well, theoretically it should be.</p><p>« Mark, come on man, let me copy your answer. »</p><p>« What’s the point if I do? You won’t be able to do that for the test. »</p><p>« If they let us sit next to each other, I will! »</p><p>It’s an old argument, in three years and a half that they’ve been in the same class the professor let them sit close only one time. It was the first test and it never happened again. No one can stop you from dreaming, though, Mark supposes.</p><p>They get all the way to question C before Mark’s mother comes into the room to cheer them up and take the – now empty – plate of sandwiches back into the kitchen.</p><p>« It looks like you boys will have new company at school. »</p><p>She says, ruffling Dejun’s hair.</p><p>« New company? Why do you think that? »</p><p>« The moving truck just came to deliver the boxes for our new neighbors! They’re a family, I think. Two boys and two women, and the boys look around your age. »</p><p>« It’s not often that new families move here? » Guanheng comments, « maybe they’re just looking for some quietness and peace. »</p><p>« Yeah, right, » Yukhei throws him an eraser, « they’re gonna have <em>sooo</em> much peace once the middle schoolers start skating in front of their house at all hours of the day. »</p><p>They all laugh about it, and as they start to retell the most embarrassing stories of their own middle school days, the new boys’ situation is totally forgotten.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>It remains forgotten until a couple of days later, when Mark is waiting for his cousin to join him on the sidewalk so they can walk to school together.</p><p>It’s a bit dramatic to say, but Mark has been waiting for Jeno all his life. More correctly, Mark’s been waiting in front of Jeno’s house every school morning of his life. They live right in front of each other and walking together is a habit they’ll lose only when Mark graduates.</p><p>There’s something different, this morning.</p><p>They’ve never been the only kids on the sidewalk, many choose the route that passes by their street, but there have never been new faces around here. Today, while Mark waits in the cold morning air, two boys get out of the house next to Mark’s and walk right in front of him.</p><p>On the other side of the road, actually, but we’re not gonna focus on this kind of details.</p><p>They don’t look alike, but Mark is standing a bit too far to judge that fairly. One of them looks like a pocket-sized goth, he’s a short boy with dark hair and dark clothes, while the other is wearing the weirdest coat Mark has ever seen. It’s brown, not too eye catching in its size or fabric, if it wasn’t for the little, colorful sequins sewed on it. Mark is not even sure they’re sequins, because the more he looks at them the more they look like crystals and stones.</p><p>The owner of the coat must’ve felt his gaze because he turns to stare back. His hair is longish, framing his face, honey locks against his tan skin, and they match very well with the rest of his look.</p><p>Mark knows he’s been staring for too long, but the boy is so stunning that he can’t look away. It’s confirmed that he overstepped when the other’s expression goes from neutral to a frown. He turns back around, chin high and proud, and Mark can only blink as the two boys walk the rest of the way without acknowledging his presence.</p><p>A couple of minutes later, Jeno comes running out of the door.</p><p>« Have you seen them? I saw them from the window. » He’s panting and it’s only eight am. « Who are they? »</p><p>« Those, » Mark sighs, « are our new neighbors. »</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>Mark doesn’t see them for the whole day at school, so he supposes they must not be in the same year as him. It’s only the following morning that he learns more about them from Jeno.</p><p>« The shorter one is Renjun and the other boy is Donghyuck. They’re in my English class. At first no one dared to talk to them but then Jaemin approached them and they’re actually pretty nice? I don’t think Donghyuck liked us very much, he doesn’t seem to like anyone at all, to be honest, but Renjun did so they sat with us at lunch. »</p><p>« Are they brothers or something? »</p><p>« I think so, but I guess they’re adopted because they don’t look alike at all. They don’t even have the same surname, Renjun’s is “Kang” but I don’t remember Donghyuck’s. They talked about their mums yesterday, but they kept it vague. »</p><p>Mark would love to spill more information from Jeno, but they reached the front gate and his first class is on the other side of the building. The cool thing about studying in a well budgeted, big school is that there are a lot of interesting classes to follow, even if it’s a nightmare to sign in. Fortunately, Mark’s astronomical geography class wasn’t one of the most requested, and he managed to enroll before it was too late. He’s not particularly interested in the stars, but he loves everything that has to do with calculations.</p><p>He stops one step in the classroom.</p><p>There’s no way Donghyuck the new boy decided to come here out of all the interesting courses there are out there, but it looks like he did. He’s wearing a big, poncho shaped cape, and underneath it there seems to be a soft sweater. It’s not as eye catching as the coat from the previous day, but it’s still a very different style from the leaf green hoodie that Mark is wearing.</p><p>Donghyuck must notice that someone is staring at him again because he turns around. Mark watches him as his eyes scroll his figure from head to toe, more and more judgmental as he goes, and when he’s done there’s a proud look in his eyes.</p><p>« What were you staring at? »</p><p>He asks, voice unfriendly.</p><p>« Nothing. Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. »</p><p>Mark mumbles, nervous. He pushes his glasses back on the bridge of his nose and he walks past the other guy, quickly. When he turns around, once he’s safely sitting on his chair, Donghyuck is not paying attention to him anymore. He’s looking for something inside his bag, one arm inside it as he takes stuff out of it.</p><p>Mark keeps looking at him until he found what he was looking for, a relieved look on his face as he places the bag back down on the floor. He then stares intensely at the front of the classroom while the professor comes in, trying his best not to let himself get distracted.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>For the following month, there’s no real evolution in his relationship with Bae Donghyuck (yes, he learned his surname).</p><p>It’s obvious that the boy thinks of him as some sort of creep that stares. Well, maybe not that far, but he certainly doesn’t like him. In Mark’s defense, it’s not his fault that Donghyuck is too pretty to not look at when he walks in the room.</p><p>He must’ve been testing the waters the first week, because as the days go by, he gets bolder with the way he dresses. It’s the crystals, mostly, that do the difference. His ears are full of piercing, all the little stones dangling as he turns his head around, and there are always at least five, long necklaces full of all kinds of trinkets. They don’t look particularly expensive, Mark has seen tens of those little, purple minerals before. He’s ready to bet, though, that those are not made of cheap plastic, and that stuff costs more than it looks like it does.</p><p>He’s also wearing make-up, now, and that was probably the point where Mark realized that, whether he likes it or not, he has a small crush on this new boy. Which is ridiculous because Mark doesn’t even <em>know</em> him.</p><p>Or at least he didn’t, until one specific morning.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>It starts with their astronomical geography class, the one they share two times a week.</p><p>Actually, it starts before that, it starts that same morning in Mark’s house, when his mother decides to put a small packet of chips in his bag. He’s supposed to stay at school for an extra basketball practice his coach scheduled a couple of days ago, and she’s worried that he’s going to get hungry as he walks back home. So, Mark watches as his mother places the snack in the front pocket of his bag, where he usually keeps his keys and a backup pen in case his usual one dies.</p><p>Then, during his astronomical geography class, his pen dies.</p><p>It was about time, really, considering he uses the same one to take notes in every single one of his classes and he’s had it for nearly a year now.</p><p>As he goes to get a new one, he notices something strange: the front pocket of his bag is open. It’s weird because he usually makes sure to keep it closed, he doesn’t want to risk losing his keys. Still, he doesn’t think much about it, he just grabs his pen and zips the pocket back up.</p><p>The rest of the day passes uneventfully.</p><p>Mark stares at the back of Donghyuck’s head during class, watches him as he walks out before everyone else has even closed their books, and follows, bored, the rest of his classes for the day. He struggles to put on his contact lenses before practice and nearly kills himself in a one on one on the court. Honestly, Yukhei needs to chill.</p><p>There’s another important fact that should be noted about this day: Jeno’s mum is an exceptional baker. She bakes pies, cakes, and all types of muffins.</p><p>His aunt, well aware of her exceptional skills, loves to send her son to school with a container of cookies to share with his teammates after practice. Mark could eat a hundred of his aunt’s cookies and not get sick of them. He does exactly that. (Actually, that’s an exaggeration, he ate seven, tops.)</p><p>The thing is, Mark doesn’t eat his mother’s snacks. He totally forgets about their presence and, when he’s back from school, his parents are already home to open the door. He drops down on his bed and considers taking a nap before dinner, but he’s distracted by what’s happening outside of his window.</p><p>Donghyuck and his brother, Renjun, are searching for something all around their garden. They look worried, like they lost something very important. Mark wonders what it is, and hopes they manage to find it soon.</p><p>He lays back down, ready to nap as if there’s no tomorrow, when he hears a sound that disturbs him. Maybe he misheard it, but it distinctly sounded like a squeak.</p><p>The sound comes again, and Mark is on his feet in a second.</p><p>There’s a mouse, somewhere in his room. He takes some more squeaking before he finds the source: the front pocket of his bag.</p><p>With trembling hands, Mark slowly bends over it and tugs the zip open. First comes out a little, pointy nose, and then a couple of pretty, black eyes. It’s a wood mouse, not bigger than a finger, and it’s staring at him from inside the chips’ bag. Or, well, what used to be the chips’ bag, because there are no chips in there anymore.</p><p>With a quick jump, the mouse runs between Mark’s legs, but it must be very disoriented because it ends up in the corner of his room, with no way to go. Not very smart on its part, but Mark is not going to judge it in such a moment of distress.</p><p>And then, the mouse does something very strange. It raises itself up on its hind legs and starts squeaking, gesticulating. It wouldn’t be that strange if it wasn’t for the fact that Mark has dealt with these little creatures before, at his grandmother’s house, and he knows that the only thing they do when they’re scared is run around and hide under furniture until you manage to get them into a box to free them outside. They certainly don’t stop and try to communicate with you in a human-like manner.</p><p>More and more weirded out by the second, Mark opens his mouth to call his parents, and that’s when things really get out of control.</p><p>With a flash of blue light, the mouse grows bigger and bigger, and when Mark gains his eyesight back, there’s not a mouse on the floor anymore, but a boy. Before Mark manages to speak – or, more correctly, to scream – the mouse boy speaks up.</p><p>« Please don’t alarm anyone! »</p><p>Gawking like a fish taken out of water, Mark replays the last moments in utter confusion. He thinks he’s going to faint, so he sits down, but then he doesn’t, and he keeps staring at the person in front of him, not knowing what to say. The boy is younger than him, he’s got a very youthful face, but he’s probably taller than Mark by a handful of centimeters. When he realizes that Mark is not going to say anything, he tries again, moving his hands up and down in a placating gesture.</p><p>« Don’t tell anyone, please, you’ll really get me in trouble if someone else finds out about me. Also, how are you going to explain what happened, right? It’s not worth the trouble. »</p><p>Mark reaches for the water bottle on his bedside table and takes a sip, second guessing his sanity. Maybe there was something wrong with those cookies? Is that secret ingredient his aunt doesn’t want to reveal <em>weed</em>? Is he having a hallucination? Does weed even cause hallucinations in the first place? Aren’t synthetic drugs the ones that do that?</p><p>Mark doesn’t have an answer for any of those questions, so he tries with the other person in the room. (Or, like, the person he truly hopes is in the room and isn’t just a product of his imagination.)</p><p>« What- who are you? What were you doing in my bag? »</p><p>« I’m Jisung, » the boy says, letting himself fall back on the floor, legs crossed. « I’m a familiar, so I’m an animal with a human-like personality. I was in your bag… well, because of the chips. »</p><p>« But how did you get in there? Like, when? »</p><p>« In class, I was in my witch’s coat pocket and I smelled food. I was hungry, ok? »</p><p>Familiars, witches… if this conversation is not a proof that Mark has gone crazy, then thinking about it will be enough to do the trick.</p><p>« Witch? »</p><p>« Yes, familiars are witches’ companions. Donghyuck always takes me to school. »</p><p>Mark <em>“aah”s</em> back at him and goes to take another sip of water. Then his brain catches up.</p><p>« <em>Donghyuck is a what?! </em>»</p><p>His tone must scare Jisung because he shuffles away from him on the floor.</p><p>« He’s my witch, yes, and I should also probably go back to him now, he must be worried. »</p><p>That must’ve been the last straw because Mark’s brain shuts down for good. There’s no way he’s going to make sense of this situation, he’ll just go with the flow.</p><p>« I can take you back to him, he lives next door. »</p><p>« Oh, » Jisung perks up, a teasing smile in his face, « so you’re the weird neighbor that stares at him? »</p><p>Mark doesn’t need a mirror to know that he’s blushing crazily right now.</p><p>« I – I don’t! He’s just very, uhm, eye-catching. »</p><p>He goes to open his door, ignoring the way Jisung snickers at him, then he remembers an important fact.</p><p>« Wait, how am I going to explain to my parents about you? They saw me come home alone. »</p><p>Jisung gets up too, dusting fictional dust off his clothes. They’re pretty normal clothes for a teenage boy, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.</p><p>« I’m gonna shift back, it’s gonna be easier to hide from Donghyuck’s wrath that way. »</p><p>And so, with a <em>familiar</em> hidden in the pocket of his hoodie, Mark goes to knock on his neighbors’ door. His parents don’t comment about it, only his mother reminds him to wear his jacket before he goes out.</p><p>To say that he’s nervous is an understatement. It wouldn’t be easy to approach the boy you like and know doesn’t like you back even if he wasn’t a witch, but this one little new piece of information makes everything more stressing.</p><p>After he’s made sure that his hands aren’t sweating, he rings the doorbell. It the same, standard one that they have at his house, and the building itself doesn’t look out of the ordinary at all. It the same as it was before they moved in, just a suburban house and certainly not the type of place he would suspect a witch living in. Or, maybe, a whole family of witches. Damn, Mark seriously hopes they don’t think he kidnapped Jisung or something.</p><p>Thanks to his otherworldly luck, it’s Donghyuck that opens the door.</p><p>The boy looks disheveled, like he’s been running around for a couple of hours, and he frowns when he sees him on the other side of the door. He’s not looking at him with the same dislike in his eyes, but that’s because he’s not actually looking at him. He’s evidently worried, his head is somewhere else.</p><p>« Sorry, I don’t know what you want but I can’t help you right now. Something happened and I’m – »</p><p>Mark stops him before he can finish the sentence.</p><p>« Looking for him? »</p><p>With a swift motion, Mark grabs Jisung from his pocket and extends his palm to show the little mouse to the boy. A spectrum of emotion passes on Donghyuck’s face, from surprise to relief to anger, and if Jisung could make himself smaller than he already is he probably would, shrinking under his owner’s gaze.</p><p>With a suicidal jump, Jisung reaches Donghyuck’s arm and then the floor behind him, quickly running into the house to escape the situation.</p><p>Mark watches the scene unfold in front of him without moving a single muscle, palm still extended towards the other boy, but eyes following the little figure as it disappears. When Donghyuck turns around, face absolutely blank, Mark tries to come up with something to say. A justification of sort, he hopes, to let him know that he didn’t try to steal his magical mouse, but he doesn’t have the chance to do that.</p><p>With one last hostile look, Donghyuck closes the door in his face.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>Obviously, Mark doesn’t sleep at all that night.</p><p>He asks his mother to check if he has a fever, but once she declares him as healthy as he always is, he’s forced to exclude the option that this was all a fervid dream. We’re left with the remaining two: he’s either going insane – and he hopes he isn’t, especially not this young – or magic actually exists.</p><p>With brushed teeth and his favorite pajamas on, he settles on his bed with his laptop and starts an extensive research on witches and everything that involves them. He reads so many blog posts he could as well write his own at this point. When he decides that he’s read enough articles about Satanists rituals, it’s already well past dawn.</p><p>Just as obviously, he doesn’t exactly look <em>fresh</em> in the morning.</p><p>« Wow, » is Jeno’s comment when they meet on the sidewalk, « what happened to you? »</p><p>Mark shakes his head, wraps an arm around his cousin’s neck, and they walk to school.</p><p>Nothing interesting happens there, no witch boy (<em>boys?</em>) tugging him in a dark corner to obliviate him or, worse, use his mortal body as a sacrifice.</p><p>That’s what plays him, this sense of security he gets at the end of the day after nothing happened for hours. His tired brain takes the decision to wait for Jeno instead of walking home early and fall in the warm embrace of his mattress. Which may seem like a smart decision if it wasn’t for the fact that Jeno doesn’t come alone.</p><p>He’s with his best friend, Jaemin, which is fine. Mark loves Jaemin, Jaemin is great. But he’s also with not one, but <em>both</em> witch boys. When he waves at Mark it’s clear that there’s no escape, he’s doomed.</p><p>He can’t just run away from Jeno, so he decides to glue himself to his side like those temporary tattoos that get stuck on your body hair after a day.</p><p>They say goodbye to Jaemin at the first crossroad, and Mark starts feeling less safe as time goes by. He knows he was right to be worried when he feels a hand tug at his backpack to make him slow down. Jeno is too engrossed in his conversation with Renjun to notice it and Mark doesn’t want to risk his cousin’s safety, so he lets him go. When he turns to the side, Donghyuck is staring at him with his usual expression. He’s ready to utter some sort of excuse for what happened the previous day, but the other beats him to it.</p><p>« I owe you an apology. »</p><p>
  <em>He what?</em>
</p><p>« Uh? For what? »</p><p>Donghyuck sighs, as if it physically pains him to be stuck in an actual conversation with Mark now.</p><p>« Jisung told me you had no idea I was a witch, and it wasn’t your fault that he disappeared. I shouldn’t have closed the door in your face. »</p><p>« Oh, don’t worry about that! » Mark shakes his hands dismissively, then he awkwardly puts them back in his pockets. « But wait, you thought I knew you were a… » an awkward cough, « a witch? »</p><p>« Kinda. » It’s Donghyuck’s turn to be embarrassed, he averts his gaze and shrugs his shoulders. « You kept staring at me, so I thought you suspected something. Thought you were one of those weirdos with a blog about magic and stuff. »</p><p>Mark falters in his steps and nearly faceplants on the sidewalk. He doesn’t need to see his face to know that he’s blushing, he can feel his neck burning up. In part it’s because he thinks back to the ridiculous research he made the previous night, but mostly it’s because he can’t really say “<em>hey, I was actually staring at you because I think you’re so pretty and I want to hold your hand</em>.”</p><p>« I – I’m not! » He stutters in the end. « I’m not that kind of person at all, I swear! »</p><p>Donghyuck chuckles, and Mark realizes that it’s the closest thing to a smile he’s ever shown when talking to him.</p><p>« I know you aren’t, now. Anyway, » his face goes back to a hard, penetrative stare, « if you tell anyone about this your life is over. »</p><p>Mark takes this warning very seriously, and he nods quickly to show that he understands.</p><p>« Your secret is safe with me, no one will know, I won’t even say the word out loud again – »</p><p>« Which word? »</p><p>He’s startled out of his rambling by Jeno’s voice, and he realizes that they’ve caught up with them. They’re standing right in front of Mark’s house.</p><p>« Nothing, » Donghyuck interrupts before Mark manages to make a fool of himself again. « We’ll see you guys tomorrow. »</p><p>They exchange quick goodbyes and Jeno recklessly walks across the street as he always does. Mark doesn’t know if Donghyuck meant it when he said that they’ll see each other tomorrow, but he surely hopes he did.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>｡⋆ʚ♡⃛ɞ⋆｡</p>
</div><p> </p><p>They don’t really see each other the following day, nor the day after that, or the one after that again. Their biggest interaction happens when they run into each other in a hallway and smile. Not even actual words.</p><p>Small steps. Mark can do this.</p><p>It’s the weekend that brings him news and entertainment. Usually weekends are reserved for family bonding time, in Mark’s household, and it’s not unusual that both him and Jeno are stuffed in the back of a car for hours to go have lunch at their grandma’s. Today, though, Jeno is on a trip with his other cousin and Mark took the chance to spend his Saturday afternoon binge-watching magic themed tv shows – it’s a very recent discovery and Mark is getting passionate about it.</p><p>He’s interrupted quickly by a mouse he knows all too well.</p><p>« Jisung, » he says, noticing the little creature tapping against his window and rushing to open it, « what are you doing here? »</p><p>Jisung – you wouldn’t say – doesn’t answer. He grabs Mark’s sleeve and climbs all the way up his arm, then he gestures back towards the window. There’s nothing strange out there, only Donghyuck’s house. <em>Oh, wait</em>.</p><p>« You want me to go to your house? »</p><p>Jisung nods and reaches Mark’s shoulder.</p><p>« Ok, I guess. »</p><p>Mark puts on his heavier coat. It’s getting really cold outside; the first snow is just around the corner. He nearly trips on the sidewalk at one point, earning a panicked squeak from his animal friend, but he makes it safely to his neighbors’ door.</p><p>It’s not Donghyuck that opens it, this time, and it’s not Renjun either. It’s a beautiful woman with very dark hair and a hard expression. She’s way older than Mark, but she’s probably also way younger than Mark’s mother. He wouldn’t be able to guess her age, but he supposes it must be somewhere in her twenties or early thirties.</p><p>« Jisung? » She doesn’t even acknowledge Mark’s presence. « What are you doing outside? »</p><p>It’s only after Jisung’ very eloquent answering squeak that she finally turns to Mark. The contrast of the hair and clothing with her pale skin makes her look like she came out of an Addams movie, but an Asian remake.</p><p>« Hello, who are you? »</p><p>« I’m Mark, » he stutters back, nerves prickling at the back of his neck. He tries to keep his voice steady, to not give away how much this woman scares him. « I go to school with Donghyuck and Renjun, uhm. I’m Donghyuck’s classmate and I came to… » he gestures vaguely to the mouse. « To give him back. »</p><p>The woman’s mouth opens in an elegant smile, eyes closing like a little fox, and it’s such a drastic change that Mark nearly gets whiplash. She doesn’t look scary, now, she looks very motherly.</p><p>« Nice to meet you, Mark. I’m Seulgi, Renjun and Donghyuck’s mum. Renjun is out with my wife right now, but I can take you to Donghyuck’s room, what do you say? »</p><p>Mark nods, thanking her, and he follows her into the house.</p><p>If the building looked normal from outside, it certainly doesn’t now. It’s like someone is stretching reality, because the entrance corridor didn’t seem this long looking from outside. There are multiple frames hanging from the walls, which are painted a warm yellow, and they show family pictures of all sizes. There are childhood photos of Donghyuck and Renjun, family trips and wedding photos of Seulgi with another beautiful woman. It should’ve looked like any other corridor, but there’s something about it that makes Mark sweat nervously. It’s like he’s walking in a passage, one of those tubes that take you right into the plane after you passed controls at the gate.</p><p>The first thing Mark notices when he follows Seulgi through the door at the end of the corridor is that the ceiling is too high to be compatible with the outside. Most of the walls are made of wood, with a glass ceiling that makes it look like a greenhouse. There are many plants, all around the room.</p><p>The second thing Mark notices is that there is a bear sitting on the couch. A huge bear, chilling on the couch and digging with a paw in a honey jar. A life-sized Winnie the Pooh but a hundred times scarier. Mark doesn’t know if that’s what terrifies him the most, or if it’s the crocodile that crawls out of a pond – yes, there’s a pond – and onto the carpet.</p><p>He doesn’t scream, though, he stands there, petrified, until Seulgi pities him and talks him out of his stupor.</p><p>« Don’t worry, Johnny and Yuta are harmless. They’re familiars, just like Jisung. » Said mouse jumps down from Mark’s shoulder and under the closest cabinet just as a big, white cat comes running after him. « Powerful witches have more than one familiar, so you’ll find many friends in this house. »</p><p>A voice comes from the top of a flight of stairs and Donghyuck’s face pops out a second later.</p><p>« Mark? What are you doing here? »</p><p>« Ehm… Jisung called me? »</p><p>With an eyeroll, Donghyuck gestures for him to come up, and Mark is more than happy to oblige. He makes a <em>wide</em> circle around the dangerous animals. You know, for safety.</p><p>Up the stairs there’s a corridor with doors that Mark guesses must lead to the bedrooms. Donghyuck’s is open, and when Mark follows him inside, he finds that the room is extremely in line with what Mark expected it to look like. There are many more of his little crystals, and the light reflecting on them from the window paints the walls with colored dots. The rest of the furniture is not particularly eye catching. There are again a lot of wood and lot of plants, but all around it looks more youthful, the way the room of a teenager usually looks like.</p><p>On the desk, and over most of the floor, there are open books and notes scattered around.</p><p>« Sorry for the mess, » Donghyuck says, picking up some of the stuff from the floor, « I was studying. »</p><p>« It’s fine. What were you studying? »</p><p>« Magic. »</p><p>
  <em>Oh. Right. </em>
</p><p>Mark didn’t know Donghyuck actually studied magic, but it makes sense that he does. Maybe that’s why he’s not part of any extracurricular activity, he’s busy practicing. When Mark picks up a book, tough, he’s surprised to find something very different from an ancient magical language.</p><p>« Why does it look like math? »</p><p>Donghyuck snorts, dropping everything he picked up on a free corner of the desk.</p><p>« It’s a course I’m taking, arythmancy. It’s divination, basically, but using numbers. »</p><p>« Oh, I know what that is. »</p><p>Donghyuck raises an eyebrow, skeptical.</p><p>« You do? »</p><p>« Yeah. » Mark shrugs his shoulders. « Or the less magical version, I guess. When I won the regionals at the Math Olympics they gave me a book about “interesting mathematical applications” and there was a chapter about this stuff. »</p><p>« I guess it would be more interesting if I could understand a single thing about it. It’s not even the magical part, it’s just math that’s a bitch. »</p><p>Mark shuffles on his feet, reading the notes and the open books on the desk. It doesn’t seem too difficult to him, nothing he hasn’t already done.</p><p>« Maybe – if you want, obviously, - I could help you out? I’m good at this stuff. »</p><p>The room couldn’t feel smaller with Donghyuck’s eyes staring him down. It’s like he’s trying to see through him, and after their talk last week about magic fanatics, Mark bets that’s exactly what he’s doing. He got the impression that Donghyuck must be very careful about the people he lets approach him. In the end he just raises an eyebrow, teasingly.</p><p>« I don’t know, Mr. <em>I won the regionals at the Math Olympics</em>, are you qualified enough? »</p><p>Mark laughs, feeling the tension break, and he takes a while to calm down and answer.</p><p>« I didn’t just win the regionals, I also got the fifth place at the nationals. Unfortunately, only the first three flew to Paris to the last phase, but they gifted me a luggage for that result. And I never got less than 98% on a test. »</p><p>Slowly, Donghyuck pushes a pile of books towards him.</p><p>« Ok, math genius, you’re hired. »</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p> </p><p>Tutoring Donghyuck is way funnier than the other tutoring activities Mark did in his life, and not only because he’s painfully crushing on the guy. Other than being a sight to watch as he furrows his brows to concentrate, Donghyuck also has an acute sense of humor that is blooming now that they get to have actual conversations.</p><p>He also has the weirdest family Mark has ever seen, composed of both human and not-so-human members. At one point Mark actually befriended Johnny The Pooh, but that only happened after he saw him drink black coffee in his underwear in his human form one evening. Ever since then, a chorus of growls and roars and mewls and other animal sounds greets him when he enters the living room.</p><p>Everything is going fine, if not for the fact that Mark doesn’t know if Donghyuck is aware of his feelings and if he should talk to him about it. It happens more often than he likes to admit, for him to space out while Donghyuck solves the problems he just gave him, thinking about how bad it would go if he actually did say something out loud.</p><p>« Hey, earth to Mark Lee. »</p><p>When he comes back to the real world, Mark finds Donghyuck waving a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention.</p><p>« Oh, sorry. »</p><p>Donghyuck hums, looking back down at his half-solved exercise. He was probably stuck on a difficult passage.</p><p>« You seem particularly spacey today, and I’m not doing too good either. »</p><p>« Do you want to close it here? We could see each other on some other day. »</p><p>The idea of cutting his Donghyuck time short for the day leaves Mark devastated, but he’s not about to let it show. Or at least he hopes so, his face tends to show more than he wants it to.</p><p>« Why don’t we go out in the garden for a while? »</p><p>« The garden? Isn’t it too cold to go outside now? »</p><p>« No, dummy, » Donghyuck laughs as if Mark just made the most amusing joke, « the other garden. »</p><p>« Oooh… » says Mark, having no idea what other garden he’s talking about.</p><p>« Come, » replies Donghyuck, taking his hand and leading him out of the room.</p><p>There’s this running joke between the two of them where Donghyuck insists that Mark can’t walk around the house on his own without getting lost, so he’s required to hold his hand. Mushy feelings caused by hand holding aside, Mark agrees. In his defense, though, the rooms likely switch places during the night in some magical way, because one time he was sure he was heading to the bathroom and he ended up in an indoor pool where a shark was lazily swimming around.</p><p>Down a flight of stairs and through a door that he’s sure wasn’t there before, Mark is led into a small garden full of blooming flowers. Which would be perfectly normal if they weren’t in the middle of winter.</p><p>« How…? »</p><p>« Magic. »</p><p>Donghyuck shrugs his shoulders and puts their books down on an outdoor table. They’re still holding hands, so when he sits, he brings Mark down with him. They’re sitting a bit too close on that bench to be considered appropriate, but Mark shrugs the feeling off as he sees Donghyuck open one single notebook between them. They’re sitting close to look at it better, noted. <em>Mark is absolutely fine</em>.</p><p>« So, where were we? Ah, yes, I can’t solve this point here. Please give me a tip? »</p><p>He bats his eyelashes cutely, pouting as he pushes the notebook towards him. Mark doesn’t know exactly when Donghyuck started acting this way with him, but it’s not doing good to his health. His cold façade has melted the more time they spend together, and now he’s turned into this outgoing, charming, fun guy that has taken Mark’s heart to wear it like a jewel on his chest. It beats for him, attuned to his own.</p><p>With a fake snort, Mark looks down at the problem. It’s nearly solved, by now he knows well enough what Donghyuck is able or not able to do and it’s weird that he couldn’t finish it by himself.</p><p>« Come one, » Donghyuck whines, poking his side, « give me a little help. »</p><p>« You don’t really need it; I think you can solve it by yourself. »</p><p>« But I can’t. » He’s pouting harder now, laying his head on his crossed arms and looking up at Mark. « You know what? Maybe I need more help. Why don’t you come back tomorrow too? »</p><p>Usually, Mark and Donghyuck see each other after school a couple of times a week, since they both need time to take care of their actual homework too. Mark wouldn’t mind meeting up more often, but he’s too stunned by Donghyuck’s antics to answer.</p><p>« The day after that could be good too! Just, I think we should see each other again before next week. I can ask mum to bake us something, maybe a cake? You liked her cake the last time. »</p><p>Blinking repeatedly, Mark’s brain finally kicks back into action.</p><p>« It’s fine! » A beat of silence. « No, wait, not the cake. I mean, yes, the cake is good, but it’s fine to see each other tomorrow too. Even the day after tomorrow, if you want. Uhm. We could work on our other homework together, too? »</p><p>« That’s a great idea, Mark! You’re so smart, wow. »</p><p>Donghyuck receives a shove in retaliation, but he still shuffles even closer, their thighs pressed against each other. He’s smiling at Mark, so openly and bright he looks like he wouldn’t stare at anyone ever in the rest of his life. It makes him feel appreciated, like he’s the center of all his affection, and Mark doesn’t know what to do with these feelings, he’s never had to deal with them before.</p><p>He’s leaning forward, their faces inching closer, until a sound interrupts them.</p><p>« Could you please not be gross, <em>please</em>? »</p><p>They jump apart, startled, and turn around to find an unamused Renjun glaring at them from under a tree. Mark has no idea when he arrived, he certainly wasn’t there when they sit down.</p><p>« What are you even doing here, there’s an art club meeting today! »</p><p>« It was canceled, so I decided to come to the garden for some inspiration and what do I find? You two kissing like you’re the main characters of a movie. <em>Disgusting</em>. »</p><p>Just as he’s ending his sentence, an apple falls from the tree right onto his head. Next to Mark, Donghyuck is blushing furiously.</p><p>« What the fuck, Hyuck, this is not even an apple tree! »</p><p>« I didn’t bother you when you had Jeno and Jaemin over last Tuesday so why are you still here, again? »</p><p>As they keep on bickering, Mark tunes out of the conversation. He didn’t think he would’ve ever seen Donghyuck blush, he’s usually so much better than Mark at keeping his feelings in check. He’s outgoing, witty, flirty, but he never lets it show if something affects him.</p><p>The point is, up until this morning, Mark could’ve bet all his savings that his feelings were one sided.</p><p>Looking at him now? He’s not so sure anymore.</p><p>And, <em>well</em>, this opens a lot of possibilities.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p> </p><p>« You and Donghyuck are such a cute couple, you look really good together. »</p><p>Mark stops rummaging through his backpack, nearly getting whiplash from how fast he raises his head to look at Yukhei.</p><p>« What? »</p><p>« You and your boyfriend, Donghyuck? I think you look good together. »</p><p>The locker room is weirdly empty even if training is about to start, so Mark sits back down on his bench and tries to look nonchalant.</p><p>« What makes you think that Donghyuck is my boyfriend? »</p><p>Yukhei snorts.</p><p>« Come on, Mark, you know you don’t have to lie to me, we’ve been friends for <em>ages</em>, I can read stuff on your face. »</p><p>A beat of silence.</p><p>« Jeno told me. You’re at his house nearly everyday after school. »</p><p>« I’m tutoring him! »</p><p>« You’re tutoring your <em>boyfriend</em>. »</p><p>Months of hanging out together, and not a single time had Mark stopped to think about what people’s impression of his relationship with Donghyuck was. Considering how vague Mark has been the whole time on what they’re doing together – he wouldn’t want to compromise Donghyuck’s magical secret – it’s not a surprise that his friends thought they were going on dates.</p><p>« So, I was saying, you two look very good together, but you know what would be cuter? »</p><p>Mark tries not to show how confused he is.</p><p>« No, what? »</p><p>« <em>You</em> giving <em>me</em> Donghyuck’s brother’s number. That would be the cutest thing ever. »</p><p>Going back to rummage through his backpack, Mark finally finds the wristband he was looking for.</p><p>« You should ask Jeno, both him and Jaemin have been at Hyuck’s house a lot recently. » He walks out of the room, leaving the other behind where he’s still tying up his shoes. « Actually, that probably means you’re too late. »</p><p>« It’s never too late unless you’re a cowa- »</p><p>The door closing behind him cuts out the rest of the sentence, but it’s not like Mark needed to hear it. It doesn’t matter anyway, his mind is too busy replaying the thought of Donghyuck and him as boyfriends, the two of them going on dates and kissing and watching weird Netflix shows together.</p><p>He wants it too bad, he can’t lose any more precious time. He needs to tell Donghyuck about his feelings and he’s going to do it tomorrow after school.</p><p>For now, he just need not to be run over by any of his teammates as they race to get the balls.</p><p>« Hey, Mark, dude, » Hendery tells him a minute later, offering his ball to share, « what do you say about introducing me to your boyfriend’s brother? »</p><p> </p>
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</div><p> </p><p>Nothing can stop Mark, because Mark has a <em>plan</em>.</p><p>It’s not a particularly articulate plan, it just involves asking Donghyuck if they can do the tutoring at his house instead of the other boy’s – he needs privacy, and that’s not a thing in the Bae-Kang household – and telling him that his crush for him is now spilling into real, fat feelings.</p><p>It doesn’t seem difficult, but Mark still manages to struggle from the first step.</p><p>« Your mum made sandwiches? »</p><p>« Yes. » Mark wants to bang his head against a wall, but unfortunately he has to stick to this excuse for now. The fact that he doesn’t actually have any sandwich at home is a problem for later. « I don’t know why she thought we were studying at mine today, but she prepared them before she left for her shift. »</p><p>« Oh, ok. It’s better this way, I think Renjun has all his boys over today. »</p><p>« That’s chaotic. »</p><p>« Oh, you bet. But when isn’t our house chaotic anyway? »</p><p>An awkward laugh. Mark is doing <em>great</em>.</p><p>And so, he waits for Donghyuck after his last class, a couple of pages of messy notes in his backpack that he wrote during lunch break about “<em>how much you mean to me” and “I just want to be with you all the time</em>”. The thing is, Mark is quite sure Donghyuck likes him back at least a little bit, but that doesn’t make his hands sweat any less because liking someone doesn’t always mean to be ok to be their boyfriend.</p><p>And also – and that’s a possibility, as sure as Mark is feeling – he could be reading it all wrong. Maybe Donghyuck was just flirting in a friendly way.</p><p>He’s desperately trying not to think about it.</p><p>« Hey there, dummy. »</p><p>Comes the voice of the boy in question from behind him. Donghyuck is ruffling through his bag, trying to arrange the books ordinately so that the corners don’t bend. It’s a struggle, Mark can relate.</p><p>« Hey there to you too. No Jisung today? »</p><p>He asks, noticing the absence of the little mouse under the collar of the boy’s coat.</p><p>« Nah, he stayed at home. Said he’s too bored to come to school every day. »</p><p>« Good for him that he can say that. »</p><p>The walk home is quiet for the most time, but it’s comfortable. It’s one thing that Mark likes about Donghyuck, the way he can talk your ear off for an hour and then chill for the next two, without saying a word. It doesn’t drain Mark’s social skills.</p><p>The next struggle is when Mark fears that he left his keys at home. He looks for them for five minutes as Donghyuck looks worriedly over his shoulder and tells him that <em>it’s fine, we can go at mine anyway</em>.</p><p>But no, Mark is a fighter and he can’t forfeit like this, so he manages to find the lost keys and welcome him inside his house. He realizes in that moment that, for all the months they’ve known each other, Donghyuck never really saw his house from the inside.</p><p>He wonders what it looks like, for someone who is used to such magical places.</p><p>« Your house is very pretty, » he answers, as if he read his mind, « it’s live everything’s got its place, but its’ still homey. »</p><p>« Uhm, thank you. » He awkwardly scratches his neck, like the interior design expert that he is. « I can show you my room, if you want? »</p><p>« Sure! »</p><p>Mark’s room is just as average as he is, with the Star Wars poster on the wall and the clothes layered on his desk chair, but Donghyuck seems to like it. He drops his bag on Mark’s bed and reads the titles of all the books in his shelves, occasionally commenting on them – “<em>ooh, I read this saga in middle school, it’s so good,”</em> <em>“you actually managed to finish this book? It’s so boring I gave up halfway.”</em></p><p>And Mark is whipped, he’s so <em>whipped</em>, because every single comment warms him up like a little flame, and he feels so full it’s like fireflies are flying in his stomach. Or spicy Korean food, the feeling is the same.</p><p>« Hey, can you lend me this one? I only watched the movie before. »</p><p>Donghyuck turns around, holding Mark’s copy of Howl’s Moving Castle in his hands.</p><p>« Sure. The plot is a bit different in the book, but just as good. I read it a lifetime ago, but I liked it a lot. »</p><p>« Thank you! You’re amazing, » he says, going back to his bag to put it inside.</p><p><em>No, </em>you<em>’re amazing</em>, Mark thinks, watching him fondly.</p><p>« So, where do you want to start? »</p><p>Donghyuck takes out his books and Mark panics for a moment. There’s no way he can just sit down and do math without taking this last step. He won’t be able to concentrate even if he tries. He coughs and Donghyuck turns to look at him, confused.</p><p>« I need to tell you something, first. »</p><p>« Okay, what is it? » Donghyuck asks, putting his book down on Mark’s bed.</p><p>Mark walks closer, then he changes his mind. He stops. Why is the room suddenly turning so hot? It’s winter, for fuck’s sake! He looks at Donghyuck, but then he realizes that he can’t look at Donghyuck if he wants to get the words out of his chest, so he stares at the wall. Then he stares at the floor. Then he focuses on the textbook on the bed.</p><p><em>Come on, Mark, you can do this</em>.</p><p>« Mark? Is everything ok? »</p><p>« Yes! » He answers, way too quickly, but Donghyuck’s worried frown doesn’t ease much. « There’s just something I need to say because I can’t keep it anymore. » A big breath. « <em>I like you</em>. A lot, actually. I’ve liked you since the first moment I saw you because you’re so <em>gorgeous</em> but then I got to know you and you’re even more amazing. You’re funny, you’re kind and you always make me feel at ease and I – I really want to spend every moment with you. »</p><p>Donghyuck’s face has eased now, a smile blooming like the beautiful flower that he is, and Mark takes a big breath before he goes on, surer.</p><p>« I know I can be lame, I know I’m not the coolest guy to be around and I know I can’t do magic and I’m probably so lame compared to the people you know that are… <em>like you</em>, but I really hope you will give me a chance and go on a date with me and maybe be my boyfriend because I like you so much I feel like I’m about to burst from keeping all this feelings inside me. »</p><p>« I know. »</p><p>Donghyuck says, smiling wide.</p><p>« You know? »</p><p>« I know you like me; I’ve known since you brought Jisung back that day. I’m not all that bad at math, you know, I could’ve done without a tutor. I said yes because I wanted to spend time with you, because I like you too. »</p><p>« You do? »</p><p>« I do. »</p><p>« Oh. » Mark must be dreaming, but it’s the sweetest dream he ever had. « That’s <em>great</em>! Would you like to go on a date with me, then? »</p><p>Donghyuck giggles and Mark is gonna <em>melt</em>. He’s going to be a puddle on the floor and they’re going to have to freeze him to put him back into shape.</p><p>« Yes, dummy, I would love to go on a date with you. »</p><p>« Well. » Mark puts his hands in his pockets, embarrassed. « What about going to that coffee shop near the park, then? I don’t actually have any sandwich here, that was just an excuse. »</p><p>A beat of silence, then Donghyuck is laughing so hard he actually falls forward and Mark has to catch him in his arms. He can feel his breath against his neck as he wraps his arms around his shoulder. Mark tries not to hold him too tight, he doesn’t want him to hear just how furiously his heart is beating against his chest. That’s embarrassing.</p><p>« You’re incredible. »</p><p>Donghyuck says in the end, nearly a whisper, as he leans back to look Mark in the eyes. Then a pair of hands grabs him by the cheeks and pulls him forward, Donghyuck stamping a kiss right on his lips.</p><p>If red is roses in spring and cherries in summer, Mark is made of flowers and sweet fruits, because his face is going on fire. He knows it by how warm he feels, but his brain is too overwhelmed by the sensation to elaborate any other information that doesn’t involve Donghyuck. The way his lips move on his, gentle but confident, and the way his hands caress his skin. Mark grabs the fabric of his shirt, arms still wrapped around him. It’s a bit magical, to kiss the person you like, and not only because they’re a witch.</p><p>When they separate – after a moment or a lifetime, Mark doesn’t know – Donghyuck pauses for a moment, undoubtedly entertained by Mark’s incredulous face, then he pats his cheek fondly and grabs his hand.</p><p>« Let’s go, » he says, struggling to close his bag with only one hand, « I’m craving hot chocolate with whipped cream and you’re paying. »</p><p> </p>
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</div><p> </p><p>« Hey, boyfriend. »</p><p>The following morning, it’s sweet to hold Donghyuck’s hand as they walk together to school. Jeno and Renjun are walking a few steps ahead, chatting animatedly, but Mark feels too content here, sharing warmth with his favorite boy, to catch up with them.</p><p>Speaking of said boy, he looks particularly cute today with his scarf wrapped all the way to his mouth. The tip of his nose peaks out, red and upset by the cold, and Mark kissed it as soon as he found Donghyuck on the other side of his door.</p><p>« You know what, » he says, looking at where their intertwined hands disappear inside his pocket, « everyone at school thinks we’ve been dating for a while. »</p><p>« Oh, I know about that. I thought it could be useful, so I let them believe it. »</p><p>« Useful? »</p><p>« Yeah, to finally push you into telling me your feelings. »</p><p>« Hey! » Mark squeezes his hand tight, chuckling at Donghyuck’s exaggerated whine. « You could’ve made the first step if you were so sure. »</p><p>« What’s the fun in that, » Donghyuck playfully scoffs, leaning forward to rub his cold nose against Mark’s coat, « I’m a gorgeous, young witch. I deserve to receive a confession. »</p><p>Mark laughs, but he agrees with him.</p><p>« Talking about witches, when is your divination exam? »</p><p>« Next week. »</p><p>« And how do you feel about that? »</p><p>Donghyuck shrugs.</p><p>« At first, not so great. Now, though? Now I’m gonna ace it. » He tugs down his scarf leave a soft kiss on Mark’s lips. « What can I say, I have a great tutor. »</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can come and say hi to me here:<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/firelxrd">twt</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/firelxrd">cc</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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